Dazzled by the Glory

Several times a day I pass across the stone patio on my way between street and front door. Sometimes I am aware of the beauty that surrounds me in the bobbing heads of blossoms. Other times I don’t even notice the gentle sway of fairy wands responding to the breezes upswept off Puget Sound. I am too busy so the catch phrase goes and everything washes out of focus balancing on the periphery of my next agenda item.

Yesterday, I grabbed my camera after reading an article by Darlene Hildebrandt on blurring depth of field in backgrounds by using a standard kit telephoto lens.  I reached for my kit lens, Sony 55-200mm, which I rarely use, mounted it on the camera body, set my f-stop for 5.6 and ventured out my front door to see what I could see. There might not be any people willing to have their portrait made, but I knew there were flowers close at hand always ready for a portrait. Now to slow down and focus.

Funny how holding a camera slows one down to discover a bee in mid air.

And then I turned my lens on the Japanese anemones chaotic in their ruthless advance across my postage stamp sized garden caught in the mix between sun and shade. Some blossoms, wide open, held their little heads high, while others, round globes of promise, waited their turn.

My heart danced until I noticed the pathos of the one gathering its own fallen stamen.

For the next several hours I either teetered on the stone wall peering down at these colorful dancers on stems or I crouched down from the patio below and aimed upwards. When forced to step back inside and prepare dinner, I had 588 images on my card and a bit of a kink in my neck! All but the first few images are from that extravaganza of largely unnoticed pirouetting color just steps beyond my front door.

I discovered the black-eyed Susan’s about three meters beyond made a great backdrop for anemone portraiture.

After dinner I sat down with Lightroom 5 to do some post processing of my favorites. A couple hours later, eyes bleary with focusing, I stood up to retire for the night. My heart fluttered with the glory of God I beheld in the majestic dance of Japanese anemone. I had succeeded in blurring the background, but more than that I had experienced a visual worship experience. I had indeed seen the glory of God right out my front door. I was reminded that what we see here on earth is but the delicate fringe of his excellent majesty.

In looking at this next image I thought of the words penned by St. Paul. “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible….He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:16,17.

I could have spent more hours in my garden Cathedral yesterday, but the sun dipped and duty called.

This morning I have renewed determination not to allow hurry and inattention to blur God’s whisper through creation. This is my quest.

Marlee Huber ~ For Your Flourishing Life!